The Book I Wish I Had Read

In Defense of the Fatherless is the book I wish I read in 2010 when we began our international adoption.

My husband Bill and I decided to adopt internationally after years of struggling with infertility. We read Russell Moore’s Adopted for Life and prayed about how God might use a physical adoption of children to teach us more about his great love for us. We talked with friends and family, read blogs and articles, and moved forward with an adoption.

Unfortunately, as the process drew to a close, we discovered that the children we sought to adopt were not actually in need of adoption. Rather, they were children of vulnerable parents who were struggling to provide financially.

This experience took us down a road of questions: Why are there children with parents living in orphanages? What is the effect of international adoption in unstable and poor countries? Why would a parent consent to an international adoption? What does the term orphan really mean?

I met Sara a few weeks after returning without the children we planned to adopt. I shared my story with her and heard her vision for this book. Some time later, Sara reached out to me to discuss the idea of co-authoring the book together. I had never written a book – or even thought about how to start writing a book – but I knew this book had to be written.

The purpose of this book is to ask questions about international adoption and orphan care and provide a framework for answering them. In writing this book, we’ve met dozens of people around the world doing amazing work to care for vulnerable families and children. We’ve read God’s Word about engaging with widows and orphans. We’ve consulted with the experts about child development and the need for a family.

And now we are ready to share with you what we have learned.We have seen the Church explode with desire to help widows and orphans. Much work has been accomplished, and lessons have been learned. As we move forward in faith, we want to ask better questions about how to serve vulnerable families and children. Will you join us in the conversation? Here’s how:

START A CONVERSATION

It’s your turn to ask better questions. Invite Christian families and churches in your community to have a conversation about orphan care and adoption, or join in the conversation on social media. Write a review on Amazon. Over the next month, we’ll be using the hashtag #AskBetterQuestions on Twitter and Instagram and we would love for you to join us.

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Amanda Bennett

amanda@defenseofthefatherless.com

AMANDA BENNETT is a lawyer wife, mother, and advocate for vulnerable families and children. She serves on the board of directors for Reeds of Hope, a non-profit serving vulnerable families and children in DRC. Amanda lives in Kigali, Rwanda with her husband, Bill, and son.